Electric machine with stator having a plurality of lead wires extending from a common winding layer

Abstract

An electric machine with a stator operably coupled with a rotor. The stator includes a stator core defining a plurality of slots. Each of the slots defines a plurality of layer positions located at different radial distances from a rotational axis of the electric machine. At least three windings are associated with each of the phases of the machine. In a first slot, a first winding is disposed in a first layer position. A second winding is disposed in a second layer position. A third winding is disposed in a third layer position. The first winding includes a first outside lead wire extending from the first slot. The second winding includes a second outside lead wire extending from a second slot. The third winding includes a third outside lead wire extending from a third slot. Each of the outside lead wires are in the first layer position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A multi-phase electric machine comprising:
 a stator operably coupled with a rotor wherein the rotor is rotatable relative to the stator, the stator including a stator core and a plurality of windings defining a plurality of phases; 
 the stator core defining a plurality of axially and radially extending slots which circumscribe the stator core and encircle a rotational axis of the electric machine, each of the slots defining a plurality of layer positions located at different radial distances from the rotational axis; and 
 the plurality of windings mounted in the slots of the stator core with each phase of plurality of phases defining a plurality of poles circumferentially distributed about the stator core, each pole being defined by a group of axially extending winding segments of the same phase disposed in adjacent slots, each phase including at least three of the plurality of windings; 
 wherein, for each one of the phases, in a designated slot of a first pole, a first winding is disposed in a first layer position, a second winding is disposed in a second layer position, and a third winding is disposed in a third layer position, the first winding defining a first lead wire extending from the designated slot of the first pole; 
 the second winding defining a second lead wire extending from a designated slot of a second pole and wherein the third winding is disposed in the designated slot of the second pole; and 
 the third winding defining a third lead wire extending from a designated slot of a third pole; 
 wherein the first lead wire, the second lead wire and the third lead wire are each adapted to be connected to an external circuit member; and 
 wherein the first pole, the second pole, and the third pole form circumferentially sequential poles of a respective one of the phases with the second pole being disposed between the first pole and the third pole and wherein the first layer position is a radially outermost layer position, the second layer position is disposed radially inward of the first layer position, and the third layer position is disposed radially inward of the second layer position. 
 
     
     
       2. The electric machine of  claim 1  wherein each of the first, second and third windings is respectively formed by two wires connected in series, wherein a first end of a first one of the two wires for each of the first, second and third windings respectively defines the first lead wire, the second lead wire and the third lead wire and wherein, a second end of the first wire for the first winding defines a first interior lead extending from a radially innermost layer position of the second pole, a second end of the first wire for the second winding defines a second interior lead extending from the radially innermost layer position of the third pole and a second end of the first wire for the third winding defines a third interior lead extending from the radially innermost layer position of a fourth pole, the fourth pole being circumferentially sequentially arranged with the third pole in the respective one phase with the third pole disposed between the fourth and second poles. 
     
     
       3. The electric machine of  claim 2  wherein the windings of each phase define at least six interior leads and the first, second and third interior leads are each connected to another interior lead extending from a radially innermost layer position to define a reversing end loop wherein each reversing end loop connects a clockwise extending wire to a counterclockwise extending wire. 
     
     
       4. The electric machine of  claim 1  wherein the respective one phase includes a fourth winding, the fourth winding defining a fourth lead wire extending from a designated slot of a fourth pole, the fourth pole being circumferentially sequentially arranged with the third pole in the one phase with the third pole disposed between the fourth and second poles, the fourth winding being disposed in the designated slot of the third pole, in the designated slot of the second pole and in the designated slot of the first pole. 
     
     
       5. The electric machine of  claim 4  wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth windings is respectively formed by two wires connected in series, wherein a first end of a first one of the two wires for each of the first, second, third and fourth windings respectively defines the first lead wire, the second lead wire, the third lead wire, and the fourth lead wire and wherein, a second end of the first wire for the first winding defines a first interior lead extending from a radially innermost layer position of the second pole, a second end of the first wire for the second winding defines a second interior lead extending from the radially innermost layer position of the third pole, a second end of the first wire for the third winding defines a third interior lead extending from the radially innermost layer position of the fourth pole, and the a second end of the first wire for the fourth winding defines a fourth interior lead extending from the radially innermost layer position of a fifth pole, the fifth pole being adjacent the fourth pole with the fourth pole disposed between the fifth and third poles. 
     
     
       6. The electric machine of  claim 5  wherein the windings of each phase define at least eight interior leads and the first, second, third and fourth interior leads are each connected to another interior lead extending from a radially innermost layer position to define a reversing end loop wherein each reversing end loop connects a clockwise extending wire to a counterclockwise extending wire. 
     
     
       7. The electric machine of  claim 1  wherein each pole is defined by windings which are sufficient to fill two slots and wherein each pole includes windings disposed in three adjacent slots. 
     
     
       8. The electric machine of  claim 1  wherein each of the first, second and third windings are formed by two wires connected in series, wherein:
 first and second wires extend from the first layer position of different slots of the first pole to define lead wires; 
 third and fourth wires are disposed in the second layer position of the different slots of the first pole and are extend from the first layer position of different slots of the second pole to define lead wires; 
 fifth and sixth wires are disposed in the third layer position of the different slots of the first pole and are disposed in the second layer position of the different slots of the second pole and extend from the first layer position of different slots of the third pole to define lead wires; and 
 wherein the first wire forms the first lead wire and one of the two wires of the first winding, the third wire forms the second lead wire and one of the two wires of the second winding, and the fifth wire forms the third lead wire and one of the two wires of the third winding. 
 
     
     
       9. The electric machine of  claim 8  wherein the first and second wires define interior leads extending from radially innermost layer positions of slots of the second pole, the third and fourth wires define interior leads extending from radially innermost layer positions of slots of the third pole and the fifth and sixth wires define interior leads extending from radially innermost layer positions of slots of a fourth pole, the fourth pole being adjacent the third pole with the third pole disposed between the second and fourth poles; and
 wherein each of the interior leads of the first through sixth wires are connected in series to another interior lead to define a reversing end loop wherein each reversing end loop connects a clockwise extending wire to a counterclockwise extending wire. 
 
     
     
       10. The electric machine of  claim 9  wherein, for each pole not including a lead wire or an interior lead, the pole includes one slot wherein the first wire is in the first layer position, the third wire is in the second layer position and the fifth wire is in the third layer position and, in another slot of the pole, the second wire is in the first layer position, the fourth wire is in the second layer position and the sixth wire is in the third layer position. 
     
     
       11. The electric machine of  claim 8  wherein the respective one phase includes a fourth winding formed by two wires connected in series, the fourth winding defining a fourth lead wire extending from a designated slot of a fourth pole, the fourth pole being adjacent the third pole with the third pole disposed between the fourth and second poles, the fourth winding being disposed in the first layer position in the designated slot of the fourth pole, in the second layer position in the designated slot of the third pole, in the third layer position in the designated slot of the second pole and in the fourth layer position in the designated slot of the first pole, the fourth layer position being disposed radially inwardly of the third layer position;
 wherein the windings of the respective one phase further include a seventh wire and an eighth wire wherein the seventh and eighth wires are disposed in the fourth layer position of the different slots of the first pole and are disposed in the third layer position of the different slots of the second pole and are disposed in second layer position of the different slots of the third pole and extend from the first layer position of different slots of the fourth pole to define outside lead wires; and 
 wherein the seventh wire forms the fourth outside lead wire and one of the two wires of the fourth winding. 
 
     
     
       12. The electric machine of  claim 11  wherein the first and second wires define interior leads extending from radially innermost layer positions of slots of the second pole, the third and fourth wires define interior leads extending from radially innermost layer positions of slots of the third pole, the fifth and sixth wires define interior leads extending from radially innermost layer positions of slots of the fourth pole, and the seventh and eighth wires define interior leads extending from radially innermost layer positions of a fifth pole, the fifth pole being adjacent the fourth pole with the fourth pole disposed between the third and fifth poles; and
 wherein each of the interior leads of the first through eighth wires are connected in series to another interior lead to define a reversing end loop wherein each reversing end loop connects a clockwise extending wire to a counterclockwise extending wire. 
 
     
     
       13. The electric machine of  claim 12  wherein the interior lead of the first wire is connected in series to the interior lead of the fourth wire, the interior lead of the second wire is connected in series to the interior lead of the seventh wire, the interior lead of the third wire is connected in series to the interior lead of the sixth wire and the interior lead of the fifth wire is connected in series to the interior lead of the eight wire. 
     
     
       14. The electric machine of  claim 13  wherein, for each pole not including a lead wire or an interior lead, the pole includes one slot wherein the first wire is in the first layer position, the third wire is in the second layer position, the fifth wire is in the third layer position and the seventh wire is in the fourth layer position and, in another slot of the pole, the second wire is in the first layer position, the fourth wire is in the second layer position, the sixth wire is in the third layer position and the eighth wire is in the fourth layer position. 
     
     
       15. The electric machine of  claim 14  wherein each pole is defined by windings which are sufficient to fill two slots and wherein each pole includes windings disposed in three adjacent slots. 
     
     
       16. The electric machine of  claim 15  wherein each of the first through eighth wires by itself does not provide an electrically balanced winding, but each of the first through fourth windings provides an electrically balanced winding. 
     
     
       17. The electric machine of  claim 1  wherein each of the first, second and third windings includes two wires connected in series at interior leads extending from a radially innermost layer position, each of the series connections between the interior leads defining a reversing end loop wherein each reversing end loop connects a clockwise extending wire to a counterclockwise extending wire.